This Empty Feeling
by radredknuxfan
Summary: Mordecai finally gets everything he's ever wanted. He gets a date with Margaret, and he finally gets the perfect first kiss. So why does he feel so empty inside? Could he have feelings for someone else? Morby. Please read and review! (Cover created by BlueLightningXD)
1. Chapter 1

Here's a nice little Morby fic for you, guys. It's just an indulgence, really, considering I really wanted to write a Morby fic, so I wouldn't really expect anything out of this world. I'll try my best, though. So anyway, enjoy!

* * *

The coffee shop was nearly empty at this time of day, as most people have already gotten their morning cup of coffee, and they are most likely currently at work. One person who wasn't at work was a blue jay who was named Mordecai. He was currently outside the shop looking in through the window. Next to him was Rigby, a raccoon who was his best friend. Rigby was also staring in the window, but his short stature forced him to stand on his tiptoes to be able to see inside, as the window just happened to be raised just high enough that he needed to do that.

The object of Mordecai's gaze just happened to be a robin named Margaret who, along with her friend Eileen, were busily cleaning the tables inside the shop before the next rush came in. Mordecai had a dreamy look on his face, as is what usually happens when those two were in eyesight. Rigby, meanwhile, was sneaking looks at Mordecai, checking him out.

It turns out that over the years they've been friends, Rigby began developing a bit of an attraction to his bro. His high school years were a complete mess, as that was the time that he began to question his sexuality, after realizing that he was completely disinterested in girls. This confusion ended up being part of the reason why he dropped out of high school, as Mordecai was part of a majority of his classes. He had a lot of difficulty concentrating, as he couldn't keep his eyes off the blue jay. That was the point when he finally discovered he was in love with Mordecai.

Unfortunately, being gay wasn't really something to be proud of during those times, so Rigby kept his feelings quiet, and dropped out of school, hoping to spend time away from Mordecai and curb his lust. He couldn't keep away from him for long, though. He eventually reunited with Mordecai after he completed college, and they both began working at the park.

Rigby's thoughts were interrupted, as Mordecai elbowed him in the side.

"I think I'm ready, dude. Time for me to finally make my move."

"Just go already!" said Rigby, beckoning Mordecai towards the door. He tried giving Mordecai a supportive look, but it came out more as a depressed smile. Rigby always sulked when Mordecai and Margaret were spending time together. Unfortunately, he was too worried about Mordecai's reaction to speak his mind about it, so he kept his mouth shut and let him do his thing.

Mordecai put his hand on the door and drew a few deep breaths before heading inside, Rigby following close behind.

* * *

"Hi guys!" said Margaret.

"Uh, hey Margaret!" said Mordecai, awkwardly waving.

As Mordecai and Rigby sat down at their usual table, Margaret walked over to them, preparing to take their orders.

"So, what can I get you guys?"

"Oh, just the usual." said Mordecai. "Rigby'll have one too."

"Hey, I wanted to order!" said Rigby indignantly.

"Alright, fine. What do you want?" asked Mordecai.

"Black coffee, please." said Rigby, mustering up as much politeness as he could.

Mordecai simply rolled his eyes, and looked back at Margaret.

"Alright, one second. I'll get you your coffees." said Margaret.

It didn't actually take one second, but not long after, Margaret returned with their coffees as promised and set them down on the table.

"Here you go guys. Enjoy!" said Margaret. She was about to walk away, but Mordecai spoke up.

"Hey Margaret! Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?" asked Margaret.

Mordecai suddenly froze, like he usually does when faced with the prospect of asking Margaret out. Rigby looked on, positive that Mordecai was going to blow it again, when suddenly Mordecai began to talk again.

"Would you like to go out on a date with me?" asked Mordecai confidently.

"Sure, I'd love to. How about 7:00 tonight?" said Margaret.

Rigby's jaw dropped as he realized what he was hearing. While he was mentally congratulating Mordecai for finally working up the nerve to make his move, a sinking feeling entered the back of his mind, as he realized that his crush was now officially taken. Rigby's mood worsened considerably, and he was left with a sullen look on his face, which Mordecai barely noticed, as he was too busy setting up the date with Margaret.

* * *

Night fell on the town, and the park was lit up by the hundreds of lamps that littered the pathways. The only activity that was going on in the park, though, was inside the house, as Mordecai was getting ready for his big date with Margaret. He was super pumped to finally get his chance, but in the back of his mind, there was a constant nagging feeling that he wasn't as excited as he should be. I mean, he finally got a chance to go on a date with the woman of his dreams. So why was he beginning to feel sort of unexcited?

Mordecai decided to push that thought to the back of his head, and finished dressing himself up. They were going to the carnival, which just happened to be in town this week, so he decided to dress nice, but casual. So he put on a black polo shirt and brown slacks. He wasn't really used to wearing clothes, so he mentally prayed to himself that Margaret wouldn't mind mismatched clothing (that is, if they actually didn't go together).

After he cleaned himself up, Mordecai headed downstairs to find Rigby on the couch watching TV.

"I'm heading out, Rigby. I'll see you later."

Rigby didn't reply, though. Curious, Mordecai walked over to Rigby and noticed that there was a blank stare plastered onto his face.

"Yo dude, you there?" asked Mordecai, waving his hand in front of his face. He even tried snapping his fingers a couple of times to snap Rigby out of it, but nothing happened.

"As long as he's not getting into trouble." thought Mordecai to himself as he shrugged and headed out the door to the cart.

* * *

The carnival was bustling at this time of night. People were milling about, riding the rides, eating the food, and doing pretty much what anybody would do at a carnival. Mordecai & Margaret, meanwhile, were sitting on a picnic table, sharing a basket of French fries that Mordecai bought for them.

"Wow, these are great!" said Margaret.

"Well, carneys do make the best fries." said Mordecai, laughing nervously.

"Really? I remember hearing that differently." said Margaret.

"That's more everything else that they sell. Their fries are really the only thing that's actually good at places like these." said Mordecai.

"Wow. Thank god these are the only things we've eaten here." said Margaret.

Mordecai once again laughed nervously, before the two birds spent a few minutes gazing into the stars.

"So, what are you thinking about doing now?" asked Margaret.

"I dunno. I guess we could check out some of the rides and games." said Mordecai.

"Sounds fun. Let's go!" said Margaret, grabbing Mordecai's hand and pulling it with her, as she made her way towards the nearest game.

* * *

Mordecai & Margaret spent the rest of their time at the carnival going through as many games and rides as they could within their budget. Mordecai did eventually run low on money, but Margaret offered to pay for a few activities, despite Mordecai's objections.

Finally, they reached their final intended destination, the giant Ferris Wheel which towered over the rest of the carnival.

"Whoa, this is huge!" said Mordecai, as his jaw hung open in surprise.

"I know, isn't it?" said Margaret, excitedly grabbing Mordecai's shoulder. "Come on, let's go get a seat!"

The line thankfully was pretty short, so it didn't take them long to get a seat, but not before Mordecai held them up for a second.

"Hang on, Margaret. I just want to take care of something first."

He walked over to the ferris wheel operator and began talking quietly to him. Margaret couldn't hear what they were saying over the crowd noise, but she distinctly noticed Mordecai slip the operator a five dollar bill. She was admittedly puzzled, but she decided not to ask Mordecai about it.

Finally, Mordecai & Margaret sat down in their seats and the ferris wheel began to move, stopping every so often to let old riders off and let new riders on. The wheel was soon completely filled, and it began to move at a quick pace, but not too quick. The two birds laughed as they enjoyed the ride for the next couple of minutes.

Suddenly, the wheel soon slowed down and eventually stopped. Mordecai & Margaret's car ended up right at the top.

"What's going on?" asked Margaret.

"Oh, I just asked the worker dude to stop our car at the top. It adds a little romantic feeling to the ride." said Mordecai.

"Wow, you're right, Mordecai! It's so beautiful up here." said Margaret, as she looked down at the still lively carnival below them.

Mordecai & Margaret both took the time looking around the area, before their eyes landed on each other, and their expressions softened. Slowly, they began leaning towards each other, eyes closed and beaks puckered up. A few moments later, their beaks finally interacted with each other, and they finally kissed. In a moment of amazing timing, a batch of fireworks was set off outside of the area.

Eventually, the two broke apart, breathing heavily. Margaret had a wide smile on her face, while Mordecai took a moment to reflect on this moment. Suddenly it hit him that he felt nothing, only emptiness. It was supposed to be the most magical moment of his life, and nothing came from it. Clearly perturbed, Mordecai fell silent and began staring into space.

"You okay, Mordecai?" asked Margaret.

"I'm alright." said Mordecai, though his heart clearly wasn't in it.

"You sure? We can talk about it if you want." said Margaret.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." said Mordecai.

Margaret didn't really believe him, but she didn't press the issue.

* * *

After dropping Margaret off back at her apartment, Mordecai headed back towards the park lost in thought. He's been chasing after Margaret for years, and when he finally got her, all he felt was emptiness. It didn't make any sense to him.

Finally, he reached the confines of the park and parked the cart back in its usual spot before entering the house and flopping down on to the couch.

"So, how was the date?" asked Rigby. Apparently, he snapped out of his funk while Mordecai was away.

Mordecai considered giving him the truth, but decided against it and thought up a quick answer.

"I…don't know."

"What? What do you mean, you don't know?" asked Rigby.

"Listen dude, I'm pretty wiped right now. I'm gonna go to bed. We'll talk about this later, alright?" said Mordecai.

"I guess. Good night, dude." said Rigby.

"G'night." said Mordecai.

Mordecai headed upstairs, and into his room. After undressing, he hastily threw his clothes onto the floor and flopped down on to his bed, his head swimming with thoughts. One thought, though was dominating over all the others.

"Could I like someone else?"

* * *

**And there you have it! Goddamn, I was so looking forward to starting this story. I never thought I would actually be interested in a pairing like Mordecai and Rigby, but reading all of the other Morby stories on this archive really made me want to do one. Speaking of, I'd like to thank KallingMeKiprix, TheGermanGerm, iPsychic, kamajithehusky, Mr. GW, and ThatRegularBro (among others) for writing the stories that helped inspire me to make my own. Thanks guys!**

**Anyway, I'm sticking this story in between the Fanfiction Rotation and Rigby's Deadly Secret in terms of order of chapter updates, so expect new chapters of this after FR is updated. So, see you guys later!**

**RK**


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, I've actually been thinking about RegularShowLuvr's review ever since I originally posted this chapter. At first, I didn't exactly agree with him (I even tried to explain that Mordecai was just going through an experimental phase), but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was in fact rushing him into it too much. So I've decided to do some rewriting of Chapter 2. Mordecai and Margaret's break up won't be changed, but everything past that I'm probably going to end up fixing. So, enjoy, and tell me what you guys think.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Mordecai and Margaret continued to go on dates. Margaret was just happy to have someone who wasn't a jerk be with her. Mordecai, however, was hoping that the complete lack of excitement he felt on the first date was just a phase. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't.

No matter what Mordecai tried to do, he just couldn't muster up any interest in Margaret, and it worried him greatly. Eventually, Margaret started to notice, too. After their most recent date, Margaret finally decided to speak up.

"Mordecai, what's going on with you? You've been really distant emotionally these past few weeks, and it's starting to make me nervous."

Mordecai stopped in his tracks and sighed before saying "Let me say first that I think you're very beautiful, Margaret, and what I say next isn't going to change that. But in the years that I've been unable to show that I loved you, I've built you up in my head as this perfect specimen, with nothing that can break that picture. But now that we're finally together, you haven't really been able to live up to those standards. No offense."

"None taken." said Margaret, though she was slightly upset about it.

"Any time we kiss, or do anything provocative, I feel like I should be dancing on air. But I don't. All I ever get is this empty feeling in my heart, which is really depressing."

Mordecai sighed once again before continuing. "I'm really sorry, Margaret, but I'm going to have to break up with you. I can't really live this lie anymore. Can we still be friends, though?"

Margaret paused for a moment, surprised to hear this come out of Mordecai's mouth.

"I'm…I'm going to have to think about it." said Margaret, before she burst into tears and ran off.

"Margaret, wait!" said Mordecai, raising a hand into the air as if to grab her, before putting it back to his side and continuing on home.

"Crap, I probably should have worded that better."

* * *

Mordecai soon returned to the park house to find Rigby playing video games.

"Hey dude, want to play some Gym Class?" asked Rigby.

"Sure, I guess." said Mordecai as he sat down on the couch and grabbed the other controller.

It was silent for the next few minutes as the two friends were playing the game. Mordecai's heart just wasn't in it, though, as Rigby actually started winning for once.

"OOOHHH! Three in a row!"

Mordecai decided to ignore his gloating. As soon as Rigby was finished, he turned around and finally noticed Mordecai's depressed expression.

"Dude, what's up? You look like someone you know died."

"I broke up with Margaret today." said Mordecai.

Rigby's jaw almost dropped to the floor after hearing this.

"What? Really? Why would you do that?"

"It's because I might not actually love her!" Mordecai shouted.

Rigby's jaw did drop at this point. His heart was yelling at him to tell Mordecai of his true feelings, but his mind refused to function, instead choosing to focus on comforting his best friend. Putting a hand on the blue jay's shoulder, he tried to think of the best thing to say to him.

"Dude, it's alright. I'm sure you'll find another girl. We can sign you back up for Couple's Corral if you want."

"I guess. I want to do my profile this time, though. Last time you did this, I sounded like such a dork." said Mordecai.

"Hey, I already told you all that stuff was true."

Mordecai gave Rigby a stern look, which forced the raccoon to back off.

"Alright, alright. You can make the profile. Don't blame me though if you don't get any takers this time."

* * *

Despite Rigby's belief for the contrary, Mordecai did get a fair share of replies, and he spent the next week testing the waters with each of them. Unfortunately, his heart just wasn't in it, so all of his dates went poorly.

Mordecai returned home after his latest date fell apart to find Rigby once again sitting on the couch, but this time he was watching TV.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Rigby.

"Terrible. Honestly, I'm actually surprised she stayed with me for that long, with how down in the dumps I was being."

"Sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?" asked Rigby.

"Well, unless you can find someone for me that can compare to Margaret, I kind of doubt it."

"Hey, don't take it out on me, dude. I'm not the one who's causing your problems."

Mordecai paused for a second, before getting up off the couch and heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Rigby.

"I'm heading out to the bar."

"Wait, I'm coming too."

Rigby sat up, intending to follow him out the door, but Mordecai put a hand up to stop him.

"No offense, Rigby, but I'd rather have some time alone to think. That okay with you?"

"Sure, no problem." said Rigby, although the look on his face was one of worry.

* * *

Sometime after Mordecai left the park, he pulled up in front of McHooligan's and parked the cart off to the side of the building. As he made his way towards the front door, he saw through the window that it wasn't too full in there, which was good, as it gave him some time to concentrate freely.

After he opened the door and went inside, he immediately made his way to the bar and sat down on one of the stools.

"What can I get ya?" asked the barman.

"Just a beer, please." said Mordecai.

The barman went under the counter and grabbed a bottle of beer. After popping the top open, he placed it in front of Mordecai, who grabbed it and took a swig.

"So, what's the occasion? I don't think I've ever seen you here without those guys you hang out with." said the barman.

"Nothing special. I just needed some alone time." said Mordecai.

"Oh, okay. If you need someone to talk to, just let me know, alright?"

"Yeah, thanks."

As the barman walked off to serve another customer, Mordecai's thoughts were swimming. He's been in love with Margaret ever since high school, so how was it that when he finally got her, he's completely lost any feelings he had for her?

Mordecai just couldn't figure out how this ended up this way, so as time passed, he ordered more beers from the barman and got steadily more plastered, hoping that somehow it might just give him an idea of what was going on in his head.

* * *

Ever since Mordecai went to the bar, Rigby was still spending his time watching television. Unfortunately, nothing was really on, so he was busy entertaining himself by flipping through the channels.

As soon as he reached the third go-around through the channel list, the phone in the kitchen suddenly rang.

"Benson! The phone's ringing!" yelled Rigby, not wanting to get up.

There was no reply, though. Rigby yelled Benson's name again, thinking that he wasn't heard. There was still no reply, so Rigby, sighing, got up and headed into the kitchen.

The raccoon grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it towards the phone. He climbed up on the chair and finally picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Is this Rigby?"

"Yeah. Who is this?"

"This is Steve from McHooligan's. I've got your friend Mordecai here at the bar. He's drunk as hell, and is starting to cause a scene. So would you mind coming to pick him up? I'm trying to keep him here as long as I can so he doesn't get himself killed, so please get here quickly."

"Ugh, fine." said Rigby before hanging up the phone.

Rigby quickly made his way out the front door, wondering just what was going through Mordecai's head to make him do something like this.

* * *

Rigby eventually made it to the bar and managed to get Mordecai out of there without any real incident.

"Hey, tell Mordecai he owes me fifty bucks for the beers!" yelled the barman as they made their way out of the building.

"Dude! You drank that much?" asked Rigby.

Mordecai didn't reply. Instead he said something completely incoherent before collapsing on the ground.

Rigby sighed, before picking Mordecai up by the arms and dragging him towards the cart. Rigby wouldn't have known he would have been able to carry Mordecai if it wasn't for the meat locker incident, so he was at least thankful that that happened.

Eventually, the two groundskeepers returned to the park, and Rigby awkwardly tried to lead Mordecai up the stairs and through the front door, before Mordecai collapsed on the couch and passed out.

Rigby sat down next to him and awkwardly stared into space, wondering what else he was supposed to do. He never really interacted with anyone who was drunk before, so this was sort of a first time for him.

Before he could decide what to do, though, Mordecai suddenly woke back up and looked at him. The blue jay's eyes were traveling all over Rigby's frame, a fact that made Rigby blush profusely.

"Dude, did I ever tell you that you look so hot right now?" slurred Mordecai.

"Uh…no?" said Rigby, confused.

"No seriously, dude. You are probably the best looking person I have ever seen in my life."

"Thank you?" said Rigby nervously.

"You are so cute. I just want to kiss you so bad."

"Wait, what?"

Rigby was only able to say those two words before Mordecai suddenly grabbed Rigby and planted a huge kiss right on the raccoon's lips as he grabbed him in as tight of a hug as he could muster in his drunken state. Rigby was completely caught off guard by this sudden display of affection, but he soon melted into Mordecai's grip.

Rigby knew full well that Mordecai was too drunk to understand what he was doing, but he honestly didn't care at that moment. He just wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

Finally, Mordecai pulled away from the kiss and immediately passed out once again, still holding on to Rigby.

The raccoon's heart leapt as he realized that his time of bliss has just been extended. While he did want to get more comfortable, he didn't want to leave Mordecai's arms, so he thought for a second, wondering what he could do, before an idea popped in his head.

He began leaning his body towards the other end of the couch, hoping that he could pull Mordecai out of his sitting position. It took a few minutes, but it eventually did happen. Mordecai's head slid off of the back of the couch and landed on the headrest. Thankfully, there was a pillow in the way, so Mordecai didn't get hurt. So as Rigby closed his eyes to take a nap, he couldn't help but smile thinking that while things were most likely going to go back to normal in the morning, he was still pretty happy to get a chance to enjoy time with his crush.

* * *

**And there you have it! Hopefully this version of Chapter 2 should be a little bit better than the original. Tell me what you guys think about this version of the chapter, though. Did I get the pacing right with Mordecai? Or was I still off a little bit? (Oh, and by the way, this will be the final rewrite I'm doing for this chapter. While I do appreciate your comments, I'm definitely way more comfortable with this version of the story)**

**Oh, and also, Steve was just a random name I threw out for the barman, considering the barman never appeared in any episodes.**

**So, yeah. I'll be seeing you guys next time with the actual Chapter 3. Bye!**

**RK**


	3. Chapter 3

Nothing to say here, so enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

The next day came with a beautiful sunrise. Mordecai woke up soon after, but he was forced to squint as the sun shone right in his eyes, setting off a massive headache. As he clutched as his head trying to dull the pain, he suddenly realized that he wasn't in his bed. In fact, he was laying on the couch in the living room.

"What the…what am I doing crashing on the couch?"

It took him a few seconds to rack his brain, but he finally remembered that he was spending the previous evening drinking. His face burned; slightly embarrassed that he let himself drink that much when he never really was that much of a drinker in the first place.

As he prepared to stand up to get something to alleviate his headache, his brain suddenly kicked into gear, and he realized that he felt something lying against his chest. At first he thought it was a pillow, but he figured that he wouldn't have been able to grab one in the state he figured he was in last night.

So, he looked down at his chest and was utterly surprised to find a brown fur ball in the shape of his best friend Rigby curled up against him, asleep.

Mordecai reacted in a knee-jerk fashion, pushing Rigby away from him and sending him to the floor, where the raccoon awoke with a start, rubbing his head.

Rigby began looking around in confusion, before his eyes landed on Mordecai, and he suddenly realized what was going on and blushed furiously.

"Dude, it's not what you think!"

Mordecai held up a hand, silencing Rigby before he could do anymore explaining.

"Please save the explanation for later. I've got a splitting headache right now, and there's no way I'm going to be able to concentrate."

Mordecai went upstairs to the bathroom, while Rigby sat down on the couch, worried sick that he may have screwed up his only chance of getting together with him.

* * *

As Mordecai was busy searching through the medicine cabinet for some aspirin, his brain was swimming with thoughts, which really only made the headache worse, causing him to swear to himself not to touch another bottle of alcohol ever again.

His thoughts, meanwhile, continued to drift as he tried to process why he found Rigby like that. He knew that Rigby never really had an interest in girls, but the idea never really crossed his mind that Rigby might in fact be gay or bisexual. But now that this whole incident happened, he was beginning to think that it might just be possible, though he wasn't ready to believe it.

So, after he took some aspirin, he made his way back downstairs to find Rigby sitting on the couch, with an extremely nervous look on his face. Mordecai sat down on the couch next to him and sighed.

"So…would you care to explain why I saw you snuggled up against me when I woke up?"

Rigby didn't reply, only giving Mordecai a nervous look.

"Listen, I'm not mad at you, dude. I just want to know what's going on. What exactly happened last night?"

Rigby let out a shaky sigh, before beginning to recount the story.

"The bartender from McHooligan's called me last night. He said that you were there, drunk off your ass and making a scene, so he asked me to come pick you up, which I did. Once I got you home and put you on the couch, you started hitting on me. I assumed it was just the booze talking, but then you kissed and hugged me and didn't let go."

Mordecai turned red after hearing Rigby's explanation. He chose to sidestep the awkward moment, instead continuing to gather information.

"So, why didn't you try to slip out then? I'm sure you could have gotten out."

It was Rigby's turn to turn red, which Mordecai easily caught sight of.

"Rigby…are you…gay?"

Rigby once again sighed, before nodding his head.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted you to find out, but yes I am."

Mordecai's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow…I certainly didn't expect to hear this from you."

Rigby blushed once again.

"But I do have one more question. Are you in love…with me?"

Rigby started after hearing that question, before vigorously shaking his head no.

"Oh no, I'm not into you like that. I'd rather we stay good friends and leave it at that."

Mordecai mentally sighed in relief after hearing Rigby's denial, but way in the back of his mind, a slight feeling of disappointment crept up, which Mordecai decided to ignore.

* * *

The work day was pretty normal for the most part, outside of the awkward air between Mordecai and Rigby. They tried their best to make it feel like any other day, but Mordecai was really uncomfortable with the fact that Rigby just happened to be into males. Mind you, he had nothing against Rigby being gay in general, but he couldn't really concentrate on his work completely thinking that Rigby could be checking out his butt without him knowing.

So, after they finished all of their work, they returned to the house and flopped down on to the couch.

"So, um…what do you want to do tonight?" asked Mordecai.

"How about some video games?"

"Really? I figured you'd want to watch some 'Queer Eye' or something."

Rigby gave him a look like he was insulted.

"Sorry, dude. I'm new to this whole 'having a gay best friend' thing." said Mordecai.

"No, it's fine. I'm still the same me, just so you know. We can still do the things that we've been doing, even though I'm a little different."

"Alright, I'm glad to hear that."

Mordecai smiled content that things can be at least somewhat the same even after the big revelation of Rigby's sexuality.

Roughly an hour passed as the two groundskeepers played video games, before Mordecai decided he wanted to do something else and paused the game.

"Hey! I was just about to finally beat you!" said Rigby.

Mordecai rolled his eyes in amusement, knowing that wasn't anywhere near the case, but he decided to humor the raccoon anyway.

"Yeah, but we've been playing for over an hour. Don't you want to take a bit of a break before you finally do it?"

Rigby's inflated ego easily took the bait, and the raccoon agreed to take a break.

"How about we go over to the coffee shop?" asked Mordecai.

"You sure, dude? I'm not sure Margaret will be able to take seeing you so soon after you broke her heart."

"Oh shoot, I forgot about that. Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to see if she's willing to forgive me."

Rigby gave Mordecai a wary look, but he decided not to press the issue, and the two friends exited the house, making their way to the coffee shop.

* * *

Mordecai took a few minutes to collect his thoughts after parking the cart in front of the coffee shop, not quite ready yet to face Margaret. Rigby noticed and placed a hand on his shoulder, intending to comfort him, but a slight shiver went through his body as he felt the blue jay's well-built shoulder. He immediately stamped down that feeling, though, thinking that this wasn't the time for it, and began speaking.

"Are you sure you want to do this, dude? I don't think she's seen you yet, so you can leave if you want to."

Mordecai took a deep breath.

"No, I think it's about time I cleared the air with her."

Mordecai stepped out of the cart and began making his way towards the front door, Rigby following close behind. Mordecai took one last deep breath before entering the coffee shop.

It was a slow day today, so the only occupant besides Margaret and Eileen was a lone gentleman who left right as Mordecai and Rigby walked in.

"Hey, Mordecai. Hey, Rigby." said Margaret, with a noticeably more subdued air than normal.

"Hi, Margaret." said Mordecai nervously.

As the two groundskeepers sat down at their usual table, Margaret sat down across from them and began to speak.

"Listen, I think I know what you guys are here for, so I'm just going to go ahead and get this out of the way. I'm not going to lie that I was really hurt when you broke up with me, Mordecai. I thought we had something special going between us, and I didn't like that it was broken off just like that."

Mordecai's face fell, thinking that things were over between them. Margaret, however, wasn't quite finished yet.

"I've given it some thought over the last few days about us staying friends. While I really wish that we could be more than just friends, I've never really wanted to cut you out entirely. So yeah, I would still like to be friends."

Mordecai smiled after hearing that last part of the speech.

"Thanks, Margaret."

He reached out towards Margaret, intending to hug her, but Margaret pulled away.

"Please, Mordecai, I'd really rather not get intimate like that. I don't want to get my hopes up again."

Mordecai was disappointed to hear that, but he decided it was probably for the best. Margaret stood up and tried to brighten up as best as she could, before pulling out her notebook.

"So, what can I get you guys?"

"We'll just have the usual." said Mordecai. Rigby didn't say anything, which Margaret took as a sign that he wanted the same.

"Alright, your food will be ready in a few minutes."

Margaret soon left to fill the order, and Rigby suddenly got a bright idea. He tapped Mordecai on the shoulder.

"What is it, dude?"

Rigby put a finger to his lips, telling Mordecai to not talk so loud, before he told him of his idea.

"I think I want to tell Margaret and Eileen about my little secret."

"What? Are you sure you're comfortable with that? I mean, you are being a bit gung-ho about this considering you only just told me about this not that long ago."

"I'm not gung-ho! I'm just really confident right now. Besides, I'm not going to tell everyone just yet. I'm only going to tell people who I really trust for now, like you."

"Well, if you're sure…" said Mordecai.

A few minutes later, Margaret returned with their food. Before she could return to work, Rigby stopped her.

"Hey Margaret, is Eileen here today?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Would you mind bringing her out here? I have something to tell you guys."

Margaret didn't really need to go back behind the counter, as Eileen walked out to join the group, having heard Rigby's request.

"What's up, Rigby?" said Eileen.

Rigby sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to work up the nerve to finally do the deed.

"Margaret…Eileen…I have a confession to make. I'm…gay."

* * *

**And that's the end of the chapter! How are Margaret and Eileen going to take the news that Rigby's gay? Well, that's something you're going to have to wait till next time to find out!**

**Anyway, I hope that you guys have enjoyed reading this chapter, and I'll see you guys next time for the next chapter of This Empty Feeling! Bye.**

**RK**


	4. Chapter 4

Since you guys were so excited to see another chapter of This Empty Feeling (especially spyrofan34, who resorted to PM'ing me about it), I feel that I should do as asked and give you guys the next chapter, so enjoy!

P.S. Don't take it the wrong way, spyrofan. I was just being a little facetious.

Oh, and I also want to mention that Rigby coming out to Margaret and Eileen is actually a set-up for a plot point later in the story, just so you guys know.

* * *

Margaret and Eileen paused for a few minutes after hearing Rigby's admission of his sexual preferences, unsure of what to think. Both Mordecai and Rigby stared at them as they were thinking, wondering how they would take it, when suddenly the two girls burst out laughing.

They continued laughing for the next couple minutes while Rigby quietly fumed and Mordecai looked on, confused. Eventually they calmed down, and began speaking.

"That was a great joke, Rigby." said Eileen.

"Yeah, I haven't laughed that hard in a while." said Margaret.

Rigby swore silently.

"I'm not joking, you guys! I'm serious!"

"Well, prove it then. Give Mordecai a kiss for longer than five seconds, and we'll believe you." said Margaret.

Rigby blushed furiously after hearing Margaret's challenge, while Mordecai was trying his best not to, remembering the kiss that they had last night.

"Oh, come on, seriously? Does it have to be me?"

"Well, you're the only guy here right now, Mordecai." said Eileen.

Mordecai swore under his breath, before turning towards Rigby.

"I guess we should get this over with, dude."

Rigby remained silent, as his mind was racing a mile a minute. As much as he wanted to be able to kiss him for longer than five seconds, he knew that Mordecai would begin to ask questions about his feelings for him before he was ready to admit it, so he regretfully decided just to deal with it.

Thankfully, there still wasn't anyone in the building besides the four, so they had free rein to do whatever they pleased, so both Mordecai and Rigby shut their eyes tight and slowly moved their heads toward each other, eventually meeting with their lips. For Mordecai, the five seconds felt like forever, as all he wanted to do was get it over with. For Rigby, the five seconds were over much quicker than he wanted to, but he still tried his best to enjoy it while it lasted.

Eventually, the five seconds have passed, and Margaret tapped them both on the shoulders, signaling for them to finally break apart, both breathing heavily.

"So, you believe me now?" asked Rigby.

Both Margaret and Eileen nodded; both having surprised looks on their faces, while Eileen's face had a little bit of sadness on as well, which Rigby noticed.

"Listen, Eileen, I'm sorry that things aren't going to work out between us. I do like you as a friend. Really, I do. You're a really great girl. But that's all we're really going to be. Friends."

Rigby immediately hopped out of his seat, and went over to the other side of the table, hugging Eileen while she silently cried.

Eventually, the tears stopped and Rigby saw fit to release her and return to his seat.

"Thanks, Rigby." said Eileen, wiping away her tears with her sleeve.

"You're sure you're going to be alright?" asked Rigby.

"It's going to take a bit to get over it, but yeah, I'll be okay." said Eileen.

An awkward silence went over the group for the next few minutes as no one knew what to say, before Margaret spoke up.

"So, anyone you're interested in yet Rigby?"

Rigby started, having not expected to hear a question like that. He quickly glanced over at Mordecai, before vigorously shaking his head no. Margaret eventually realized that probably wasn't the best question to ask and covered her mouth.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry, Rigby. I probably shouldn't have asked that."

"It's alright."

"Well, I think we'd better be going before Benson chews us out for staying out so long." said Mordecai.

"Alright, see you later!" said Margaret.

Both Margaret and Eileen waved goodbye to the two as they made their way out the door and back to the cart.

* * *

As Mordecai and Rigby drove their way back to the park, Mordecai couldn't help but notice the slightly glum look that was on Rigby's face.

"You doing alright, dude?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. I just wish I could have broken things off with Eileen a little better than I did." said Rigby.

"Well, it looked like she was doing alright. It's not like she was glaring daggers at you or something." said Mordecai.

"I think I should really apologize to her for it, though. Remind me to do that the next time we go, alright?"

"Alright, dude. I'll do that." said Mordecai.

The two groundskeepers then fell silent as they finally pulled up to the front gate and made their way towards the house.

* * *

Mordecai and Rigby eventually made their way inside the house and were about to sit down and enjoy some television before Benson walked in the room.

"There you two are. Where have you guys been?"

"At the coffee shop." said Mordecai.

"Figures." said Benson, sighing. "Anyway, we're all going out to McHooligan's for some drinks, and I want everyone there, so come on."

"Oh, um, about that…" said Mordecai, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"What now?" said Benson, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm actually not allowed in the bar until I pay back a tab I owe."

Rigby looked at him, surprised.

"What? You didn't mention this to me before."

"Yeah, it was one of the few things I actually remembered that he said before you arrived to pick me up. I just remembered it myself right now."

Benson pinched his nose even harder, feeling a headache coming on.

"Unbelievable! I'm going to go talk to Skips, and we'll figure out somewhere else to go. I want to see you two still here when I get back, or you're fired! You got that?"

"Sure Benson, no problem." said Mordecai.

"Yeah, no problem." said Rigby.

* * *

With the amount of places Mordecai and Rigby have gotten themselves thrown out of, Benson didn't have really many options to go on, so they ended up going to Cheezer's for dinner.

The group mostly ate in silence due to the really awkward situation they were in. Benson was still pretty angry at Mordecai and Rigby (but mostly Mordecai) for being the cause of them being unable to do anything more interesting together. Everyone else was spending their time trying to get a conversation going, but no one wanted to take the plunge.

Eventually, the group finished their meals and threw away all of their garbage before leaving the restaurant in silence. They all piled into the two carts they brought along and went back to the park, immediately going their separate ways when they reached the house.

* * *

Mordecai and Rigby sat down on the couch once they made it inside the house. After saying good night to Pops, who went upstairs to his room for the night, they turned on the TV and sat back, intending to spend the rest of the night doing nothing, having had enough of the awkward situations they were constantly in over the course of the day.

After about an hour of watching the same channel, Rigby's attention span was beginning to dwindle, so he grabbed the remote and began flipping channels.

"Dude, I was watching that!" said Mordecai, annoyed.

"Well, I was getting bored of watching that. So how about we watch something else?"

"No, that was a really good movie! Flip it back, or I'm taking the remote."

Rigby ignored him, continuing to flip channels. Mordecai, getting even more annoyed, lunged at Rigby, reaching for the remote. Somehow, Rigby managed to dodge away from Mordecai, keeping the remote out of the blue jay's grasp, as he clutched it to his chest as tightly as he could. Mordecai tried his best to pry it away from the raccoon's grasp, but Rigby curled into a ball to try to keep it away from him. As they continued to battle over the rights to the remote, Mordecai's hands eventually wound his way around Rigby, and the raccoon was drawn closer to the blue jay's chest.

It took a few seconds for Rigby to register what was happening, but he eventually managed to figure it out and he blushed furiously, knowing how close they were touching, before pushing himself away from Mordecai and immediately releasing the remote. Mordecai, not realizing what he just did, grabbed the remote and let out an "OOOHHH!" in victory before changing the channel back.

The two groundskeepers continued watching the movie in silence, until Mordecai looked over at Rigby and saw that he had a slightly depressed look on his face.

"You okay, dude?" he asked, slightly worried.

"I'm okay. I'm just thinking." said Rigby.

"Really? About what?"

"Oh, it's nothing important."

Rigby was actually still thinking about that almost hug they were having during the fight for the remote and how he really felt about it, but of course he didn't want to mention it to Mordecai.

Mordecai decided not to pry any further, wishing to avoid causing any more problems with him after the way he was during the remote battle, even though he was still curious.

"Alright dude. If you want to talk about it, though, I'll be here."

"Okay, I'll think about it." said Rigby with a small smile.

He had no intention of talking about it at the moment, but he figured he might as well placate Mordecai to avoid any more questions until he was completely ready to share his feelings.

The movie ended a short while later, and Mordecai let out a big yawn, stretching out his body, which Rigby couldn't help but sneak a peek at really quickly.

"Welp, I think it's about time for us to head to bed. What do you think?"

"Sure, I suppose so." said Rigby.

Mordecai grabbed the remote and shut off the TV before the both of them headed upstairs and into their room. Mordecai immediately flopped onto his bed and fell asleep, being completely wiped out from the long day. Rigby also slipped under the pile of laundry on his trampoline, but instead of immediately falling asleep, he spent the next few minutes trying to think of a way that he could break the news of his feelings for Mordecai.

Unfortunately, nothing came to mind as much as he tried to think of a possibility, so he decided to save it for another time and sighed before he fell asleep, slightly disappointed that he wasn't ready yet to show his true feelings.

* * *

**And that's the end of this chapter! When is Mordecai ever going to get an idea of Rigby's feelings for him? And what about Margaret and Eileen? What kind of roles are they going to play? That's something that you're going to have to keep reading to find out.**

**Anyway, I hope that you guys have enjoyed this chapter, even though it's really just more teasing. Don't worry, though. Things will pick up a bit over the next few chapters now that I've put Margaret and Eileen into the equation. So, now that that is over with, I will see you guys next time. Bye!**

**RK**


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing really I can think of to say, so I hope you guys enjoy.

* * *

The next day came as normal, with Rigby no closer to figuring out a way to express his feelings to Mordecai. Disappointed, he got out of bed and began to get ready for the new work day. As he was busy shoveling cereal into his gullet, Rigby noticed Mordecai coming into the kitchen, looking noticeably more chipper.

"Somebody's looking happy today." said Rigby.

Mordecai jumped slightly, having failed to notice Rigby sitting there.

"Oh, hey dude. Yeah, I guess I'm just feeling pretty good today. Dunno why."

As Mordecai was looking at Rigby, he finally caught sight of the depressed look on Rigby's face.

"You're looking pretty down there. Anything wrong?"

"No, I'm alright."

Mordecai didn't fall for Rigby's excuse this time.

"Come on, Rigby. You know I don't believe you. Now tell me what's wrong."

Rigby panicked a little bit, not realizing that he was going to have to think up an excuse for his demeanor this early in the morning.

"Um…I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" said Rigby, with a sheepish look on his face.

"Really. I wasn't aware a trampoline had a wrong side to sleep on."

"Well, both sides are. I'm sure I've already told you many times about how uncomfortable that thing is." said Rigby.

Mordecai looked at Rigby for the next few seconds, not sure if he was lying or not. Finally, he sighed, knowing he probably wasn't going to get anything out of Rigby.

"Ugh, fine. You don't have to tell me about it now. Just remember, any time you're ready to tell me what's going on in your head, I'll be ready to listen. Okay?"

Rigby nodded, but he also secretly gulped, thinking that his feelings would end up making things a lot worse than Mordecai could imagine.

* * *

The work shift was for the most part uneventful, except for one odd thing that happened near the end. Mordecai and Rigby were busy raking leaves (Rigby secretly sneaking peeks at Mordecai whenever he got the chance) when Margaret showed up completely out of the blue.

"Hi, Mordecai! Hi, Rigby!"

"Hey Margaret. I'm kind of surprised to see you here. Don't we usually come to visit you guys?" said Mordecai.

"Oh, I have the day off from work today, so I've decided to break from tradition a little bit and come see you guys!"

"That's really cool. Would you mind waiting a little bit, though, so we can finish all of these leaves? Then we can talk. How does that sound?"

"No problem, Mordecai. I'll go take a seat on that bench over there." said Margaret, pointing towards a bench across the pathway.

"Go right ahead. We'll just be a few more minutes."

Margaret walked towards the bench and sat down, watching as Mordecai and Rigby finished off the leaves.

Rigby, meanwhile, was busy trying to avoid checking out Mordecai, knowing that Margaret was watching them, but he was unable to resist and he continued sneaking peeks at the blue jay. However, his peeks were much less subtle due to being unable to concentrate clearly thanks to Margaret's presence. Soon enough, this ended up catching Margaret's attention.

Intrigued, she kept an eye on Rigby, watching to see if he would continue doing what he has been doing. As she watched the raccoon, she was also busy running possibilities through her head. Eventually, she landed on the one thing that most people would probably think after seeing what she saw.

"_Could Rigby be in love with Mordecai?"_

That was the one question she kept coming back to, and the more she repeated it to herself, the more she really began to believe it.

After giving it some thought, even though she wasn't entirely comfortable with the homosexuality thing, she did think that Mordecai and Rigby would definitely go really well together. So, as the boys finished up raking the leaves, she promised herself, that if Rigby was okay with it, she would do her best to help get those two together.

* * *

Mordecai, Rigby and Margaret went back to the house after the work day was finished. Once they entered the house, Rigby and Margaret sat down on the couch, while Mordecai ran off to find Benson to get permission for Margaret to be allowed inside the house.

Margaret stared off into space for the next few minutes as she sat on the couch, as she was trying to figure out how best to phrase the question in her mind at the moment. Rigby, meanwhile, turned on the TV out of boredom.

Eventually, Margaret figured it out, and she cleared her throat and called Rigby's name, hoping to get his attention. The raccoon was too absorbed in the program he was watching, though, to notice, so Margaret was forced to grab the remote and turn the TV back off, to an angry glare from Rigby.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"Yeah, I know. Can I please talk to you for a minute, though?"

"Ugh, okay. What do you want?" asked Rigby.

Margaret sighed before continuing on.

"Are you… by any chance in love with Mordecai?"

Rigby's eyes widened in shock for a few moments, before he quickly tried to hide his expression and shake his head vigorously. Margaret immediately saw right through it.

"Alright, so what do you say when I tell you that I saw you checking Mordecai out when you two were raking leaves?"

Rigby began sweating profusely, knowing that his big secret was exposed. Eventually, though, he sighed in defeat.

"Yes, I admit it. I'm in love with Mordecai. Please don't tell him, though. I don't know what he'll think of me if I admit I have a crush on him."

"Don't worry, Rigby. I won't tell him. Besides, I want to help you."

"Wait, really?" asked Rigby, surprised.

"Yeah, of course. You guys are perfect together. I've almost never seen you guys apart since I've met the both of you, and I think going a little further with your relationship would be really beneficial for you guys."

Margaret paused once again before asking the big question.

"So, would you like my help to get you and Mordecai together?"

Rigby also paused as he thought it over.

"Yes. Yes I would. Thanks, Margaret."

Mordecai returned to the room a few seconds later, so Margaret was only able to nod at Rigby.

"So Mordecai, you've been gone a little while. How'd things go with Benson?" asked Margaret.

"It took a lot of pleading, but I got Benson to agree to let you stay for a while. So anyway, what have you guys been doing while I've been gone?"

Margaret and Rigby shared a glance behind Mordecai's back before Rigby went ahead and replied.

"Nothing important. I was just about to turn on the TV before you came in."

"Oh, cool. Is there anything good on today?" asked Mordecai.

"I dunno, I haven't checked. I guess we could see if there's a movie on." said Rigby, as he began flipping through channels.

While Rigby was busy channel surfing, Mordecai decided to talk with Margaret a bit.

"So, how's Eileen been doing since yesterday?"

"Oh, she's doing alright. She's kind of taking the whole Rigby thing a bit hard, but I heard that she tried out that speed dating session over at the rec center last night." said Margaret.

"Really? How'd it go?"

"Not good. She didn't even last the full sixty seconds with some of the guys."

"Wow, that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that." said Mordecai.

"Oh, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure she'll get through it."

At that moment, Rigby finally stopped flipping through channels, thinking that he finally found something interesting.

"This looks good. What do you guys think?"

Rigby ended up landing on a channel that had a decent-looking action movie showing on it. As he looked at Mordecai and Margaret expectantly, Mordecai decided to defer his answer, instead looking towards Margaret.

"Want to watch this, Margaret?"

"Sure, I don't really mind."

The group managed to catch the movie at the beginning of its running time, so it was about another hour and a half before the movie finally ended, and Margaret felt that it was about time to head back to her apartment.

"I should really be getting back home. I'll see you guys later!"

"Good night, Margaret." said Mordecai, waving.

As soon as Margaret left the house, Mordecai sunk into the couch and sighed.

"Wow, I certainly didn't expect to see her here for once."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird to see her visit us, when usually it's the other way around." said Rigby.

"Oh well. Either way, it's great that we get to spend some time with her outside of the coffee shop."

"I guess so." said Rigby.

* * *

Margaret soon returned to her apartment a little while after leaving the park to find Eileen waiting for her on the couch, apparently having just gotten through a good cry, as her eyes were still slightly puffy. Margaret, sensing trouble, immediately sat down on the couch and put an arm around Eileen.

"What's wrong, Eileen? You look like you've had a rough night."

"I tried going out with one of the guys I lasted the full time with during that speed dating thing I did yesterday."

"How'd it go?" asked Margaret.

Eileen began whistling, simulating a bomb being dropped on the ground and it exploding.

"Oh, sorry." said Margaret.

"No, it's okay. That guy was a jerk, anyway."

Eileen paused for a second to wipe her eyes before continuing.

"I miss Rigby. If only he wasn't gay, then things would be better."

"Eileen, that's not a nice thing to say about Rigby!" said Margaret, slightly insulted.

Eileen immediately realized what she said and apologized.

"Sorry, Margaret. But even so, I really want to get him back. So from now on, I'm going to do my best to get Rigby interested in me again."

Margaret was about to point out that it was a futile endeavor that Eileen was attempting to accomplish, but she couldn't bring herself to put Eileen back down in the dumps again, so she decided to keep quiet and let Eileen have her moment.

* * *

**And that's the end of this chapter! So yeah, Margaret's going to help Rigby get together with Mordecai, while Eileen tries to convince Rigby to get together with her. And just so you guys know, Eileen is really only a semi-antagonist. She will be getting between Mordecai and Rigby, but unintentionally, considering she's unaware of Rigby's affections for Mordecai. So please don't hate her too much.**

**Anyway, I hope to see you guys next time for more This Empty Feeling. Bye!**

**RK**


	6. Chapter 6

Bit of an explanation before I start, considering I forgot to do it last chapter. The review from AA was asking what the deal is with the kiss in the café. I thought for sure it was pretty obvious, but I guess not. The reason behind it was that Margaret and Eileen thought that Rigby was lying about being gay, just so he could get Eileen off of his back, which really isn't that much of a stretch. So, they said that he could prove it if he kissed another guy, and Mordecai just happened to be the only other guy in the shop, so Rigby did it, proving himself in the process. So, I'm hoping that this clears things up. If it doesn't, please let me know. Also, please sign in so I can communicate with you. Thanks.

* * *

Eileen was sitting alone in her apartment, contemplating different ways as to how she would be able to get Rigby to like her again. She knew quite well that it was going to be difficult with Rigby being into men and all, but she knew if she tried her hardest, she might be able to turn him over to the other side somehow.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to really think of any good plans, so she decided to bite the bullet and just go with what pops into her head. That first thing ended up being dressing sexy, so she decided to go into her bedroom and pull her closet open.

Eileen began looking through all of the dresses that she had, but as she began reaching the other side of the closet, she suddenly realized something.

"Oh shoot, I don't really have anything good-looking."

It turns out that everything that she had in her closet would definitely not qualify as a sexy dress. Disappointed, she closed the closet door and sat down, leaning up against the door and putting her head in her hands.

"What am I going to do?"

Eileen mulled over her options, before she decided she was probably going to have to purchase one. Unfortunately she wouldn't really have much to go with, considering the downright meager salary someone in her profession gets. But if she wanted to get Rigby back, she knew she would have to do something, so she stood up and made her way out of her bedroom and out of the apartment, hoping to find a dress on the cheap.

* * *

Mordecai and Rigby were making their daily coffee shop visit, as expected. The two groundskeepers pulled up in front of the shop in the cart and headed in through the front door, only to be greeted with Margaret by herself.

"Hey, Margaret. Eileen not here yet?" asked Mordecai.

"No, she's off today. Thankfully it's pretty slow today; otherwise I probably would be in a bit of trouble."

As Mordecai and Rigby sat down at their usual seats, Margaret also joined them to take their orders.

"So, what can I get you guys?"

"Two subs would be great. Sound good, dude?" asked Mordecai.

Rigby started, having been zoned out for the last few seconds.

"What? Oh, sure."

Both Mordecai and Margaret gave him weird looks.

"Alright, I'll get right on your subs as soon as I help this guy who just came in." said Margaret.

As it turns out, a customer just came in while Margaret was speaking, and conveniently sat down a few seats behind Mordecai and Rigby, which gave Margaret a chance to slip behind the two of them and tear off the sheet she was writing on, slipping it under Rigby's bottom and the stool.

Having felt the note being slipped under him, Rigby turned around to look at Margaret and ask what she was doing, but she was already busy dealing with the customer, and even he knew not to interrupt.

So, he took a look at what he was sitting on and found the note that Margaret left him. Sitting up slightly, he picked up the ticket and turned away from Mordecai before beginning to read it.

"_I'm going to send Mordecai on an errand for a few minutes so we can talk. Don't let Mordecai see this note. Margaret"_

"What are you looking at?"

Rigby jumped, not realizing that Mordecai noticed him reading the note. As he turned around to face the blue jay, he hurriedly stuffed the note behind his back, trying to hide it as best as he could.

"Oh, I uh…just found some garbage on the floor. I was just going to throw it away."

Rigby hastily crumpled the sheet of paper into a ball, before jumping down from his seat and tossing it into the garbage can a few feet away. Mordecai was suspicious, but he really didn't want to get into trying to get an answer out of someone as stubborn as Rigby, so he mentally filed away the garbage can the paper was in and turned to the front, as Margaret finally brought their food to the table.

"Here you go, guys."

Margaret set the two trays on the table in front of them and was about to turn around and leave, when she appeared to remember something.

"Hey Mordecai, could you do me a favor?"

"Uh…sure, Margaret. What would that favor be?"

"I left my other pen back at my apartment. I would get it myself, but I'm the only one here and my boss would kill me if I left the store alone. Would you mind running over and getting it for me?"

"Sure thing. What kind of pen is it?"

"It's black. And here's the key to my apartment, by the way."

Margaret handed her key over to Mordecai, who stood up and made his way out the door. As soon as they heard the sound of the cart driving away, Margaret sat down next to Rigby.

"So, do you have any ideas on how we're going to do this?" asked Rigby.

Margaret looked behind them where the other guy was sitting, but he had already paid and left by this point, so there weren't any worries about being overheard.

"Well, I'll admit I'm not very experienced in the setting up two guys thing, so there's not really much I can think of. But I suppose we'll just think of a few things to do and see what sticks."

"Alright…so, do you have anything in mind?"

Margaret paused for a moment before answering.

"How about you, me, Mordecai and Eileen go out for dinner on Friday? We'll all have fun, have some food, and when the right time comes, you can share your feelings."

"Really? I'm not sure a public place like a restaurant would be the best place to tell another guy you love him." said Rigby dismissively.

"Well, I wasn't really thinking of going to a fancy restaurant or anything. We can go to Cheezer's or something. Those kinds of places can get pretty loud sometimes."

Rigby still wasn't completely comfortable with the prospect of confessing his feelings for Mordecai in a public place, but he did think that Margaret had a point, so he agreed.

"Okay, I guess we can do that. But what am I going to say to him? I don't want to confess to him, only to have him hate me."

Margaret sighed, trying to think of something else to alleviate Rigby's concerns.

"Well, all I can really say is to just suck it up and do it. All you can do is just speak from your heart and hope for the best. If he still likes you, then that's good. But if he doesn't, then we'll figure something out. Besides, it's only Monday. You still have time to think of something to say."

Rigby gulped, not sure if he would be able to pull off what Margaret was asking him to do.

* * *

Mordecai returned to the coffee shop a few minutes later with the pen Margaret asked for.

"Thanks, Mordecai!" said Margaret cheerfully.

"No problem, Margaret."

"Oh, I've got a bit of a proposition for you, Mordecai. How would you feel about you, me, Rigby and Eileen going to Cheezer's on Friday, just for fun? Rigby already agreed to go, by the way."

Mordecai paused for a moment, deciding whether to go or not.

"Sounds good. I'll see you guys on Friday."

Margaret smiled, before walking off to serve another customer, and the two groundskeepers began eating their subs in silence, which were both cold by this point, but neither of them really minded.

Once they finished, Mordecai set their payment down on the table and both he and Rigby stood up, ready to leave, when Mordecai stopped suddenly.

"Hey Rigby, you go ahead and wait for me by the cart. I have to go run to the bathroom."

"Huh? Okay, I'll see you out there." said Rigby, as he walked out the door.

Mordecai went towards the bathroom, but instead of heading inside, he snuck his way towards the garbage can that Rigby threw the paper into. Thankfully, the paper was still right on top of the pile, so Mordecai didn't really have to do too much digging. The blue jay picked the paper up and opened it up, reading the note that was scrawled on to it.

"Huh, I wonder what was so urgent that they needed to send me out for a while. Strange." said Mordecai to himself.

He crumpled the paper back up and tossed it back in the garbage can, before washing up in the bathroom and heading out to meet Rigby.

* * *

Once Mordecai and Rigby returned to the park, Rigby told Mordecai he needed to get some fresh air, so he went back outside the house and began walking through the park, with no real goal in mind as to where he was going to go.

It was about ten minutes before Rigby finally returned to the house, only to find Eileen sitting on the porch in front of the door. Eileen was wearing a simple green dress with pockets, some earrings, and high heels. She also didn't have her glasses on, which made it a complete mystery as to how Eileen got up the steps without tearing up her dress.

"Eileen? What are you doing here?"

Eileen jumped, having been staring into space for the last few minutes. She stood up, and spun in place, intending to show off her look to Rigby.

"What do you think?"

"Well, you look nice, but is that what you came here for? To show me your dress for the date on Friday?" said Rigby, confused.

It was Eileen's turn to be confused, as she didn't receive any word about a date on Friday. She gave Rigby a questioning look, but all the raccoon saw was more squinting. He managed to get the picture, though.

"Oh, did Margaret not tell you yet? You, me, Margaret and Mordecai are all going to Cheezer's on Friday. You interested?"

Eileen was immediately excited, thinking that she may have gotten through to him.

"Oh sure, I'd love to. I'll see you guys then."

Eileen began walking away, but suddenly tripped over her high heels. Rigby was there to catch her, though.

"Don't you think this might be a little overdressed for Cheezer's?"

"Yeah." said Eileen.

She took off her high heels and put her glasses back on, before finally preparing to leave.

"See you later, Rigby."

"Bye, Eileen."

As Eileen walked off, all she was thinking about was that she hoped that this date on Friday would finally help her get through to Rigby. Little did she know was that she was nowhere near the first thing on Rigby's mind at that moment.

* * *

**And that is the end of this chapter! So, the ball is finally rolling to get those two together. Mordecai finally has been clued in that something strange may be going on with Margaret and Rigby that he's being left out of, and Margaret has finally set her plan in motion to get Mordecai and Rigby together. Will it work out? Only time will tell.**

**Anyway, I hope that you guys have enjoyed this chapter, and I will be seeing you guys next time. Bye!**

**RK **


	7. Chapter 7

Alright, I've got nothing I can really think of that I want to say, so let's just get on with it. Enjoy.

* * *

**Tuesday (3 days left until big date)**

Mordecai woke up at the same time in the morning as he usually does. This time, though, he woke up to find that Rigby wasn't in his bed, but rather on the floor with some of the dirty laundry he uses as a blanket covering his body.

Curious, Mordecai got up out of bed and walked over to the pile. The blue jay reached out with one of his feet and tapped Rigby in his side, jerking the raccoon awake.

"Wh-what? What do you want?"

"Hey, dude. Did you know that you were sleeping on the floor last night?" asked Mordecai.

Rigby, confused, began looking around at where he was sitting before realizing that he was in fact sitting on the floor.

"Oh, uh…I guess I was."

"Mind explaining why you were?" asked Mordecai.

"I couldn't really sleep too well, so I was up thinking about stuff. I guess I must have missed the trampoline when I finally went to sleep."

"What kind of things?"

Rigby's breath caught in his throat as he realized that he was talking too much about private things. He frantically tried to think of an excuse, blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.

"I'm a little worried about what's going on with Eileen. She was acting pretty strangely when I saw her yesterday."

"Oh, that's right. Didn't you tell me that she was wearing a dress? Don't you think she might have taken you breaking up with her a little harder than we thought?" said Mordecai.

"Maybe you're right. I should probably go apologize to her."

"That's going to have to wait until later. We have to get downstairs before Benson chews us out for being late again."

Rigby nodded before following Mordecai out of the room.

* * *

It turns out that their little chat did make them late, so they ended up having to go through another one of Benson's rants, but once that was over, they were assigned to split mowing the lawn with Muscle Man and High-Five Ghost. The two groups engaged in a game of rock, paper, scissors to see who would get the riding mower. Mordecai and Rigby won, so they gladly jumped on the riding mower before making their way to the plots of land they were assigned to do.

As Mordecai was busy driving the mower, Rigby was left to his own thoughts with only the vibrations of the mower as company. Without realizing it, he began leaning towards Mordecai, eventually stopping once his head touched the blue jay's side. Mordecai noticed the contact, though, and immediately stopped the mower before turning towards Rigby.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

It took a few seconds for Rigby to return to reality, but once he did he immediately sat up, blushing furiously.

"Oh, um…sorry about that, dude. I zoned out for a second there."

As Rigby looked at Mordecai, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his head, the blue jay looked at him weirdly before returning to focusing on the lawn.

Once the vibrations returned, Rigby wasn't able to resist taking another chance at getting closer to Mordecai. Instead of going all the way like he unintentionally did before, he decided to simply move as close as he could to Mordecai without him noticing. Thankfully for him, he didn't, so the raccoon sighed lightly in content as Mordecai continued driving.

* * *

The rest of the work day went pretty smoothly outside of a few incidents of Rigby being unable to control himself. Mordecai was understandably becoming a little more suspicious about Rigby's intentions, but he still didn't figure anything out, at least for the moment.

Once the day was finally finished, Mordecai and Rigby were about to head over to the coffee shop to visit Margaret and Eileen, but they were immediately accosted by Benson.

"We're all heading over to the theater to go see a movie tonight. And yes, I mean all of us, so don't even think of trying to sneak off somewhere else!" said Benson before walking off.

"Well, I guess the coffee shop plan's out the window."

"Yeah, that kind of sucks." said Rigby, acting like he was okay with it despite the fact that he was worried about losing valuable practice time with Margaret considering there's only three days until the date.

* * *

Once the entire group managed to get together, they all piled in to the two carts and made their way to the movie theater in town. Everyone was there, including Thomas, who agreed to go despite the fact that he was busy with schoolwork. He figured there probably wasn't anything wrong with taking a break from it to hang out with the guys.

Anyway, once they arrived at the movie theater, Benson left the choice of movie up to a vote, which probably wasn't one of Benson's best ideas, as everyone immediately blurted out what movie they wanted to see before beginning to argue among each other.

"Would you all shut up for a moment?" yelled Benson, as he finally got tired of the bickering.

Once everyone finally quieted down, Benson continued to speak.

"Alright, we're going to need to choose a movie as soon as possible if we want to get in on time, so I'm going to list the movies they're showing right now, and whoever wants to see it, raise your hands."

"Can we raise our hands for more than one movie as a backup?"

"Yes, Rigby. You can if you want to." said Benson, sighing before beginning to list the movies, counting the number of hands on each.

The movie that ended up winning the vote turned out to be a Carter and Briggs movie, which Mordecai and Rigby were super excited to get to watch.

So, everybody went up to the ticket window and paid for their tickets. Once they entered the theater, Mordecai, Rigby and Muscle Man made to head for the snack counter, but Benson was there to stop them.

"I'd suggest holding off on the snacks, you guys. We're going to be getting some food at Cheezer's after the movie's over."

The three of them sighed, disappointed that they couldn't get any food. However, once it registered in Rigby's mind where they were going, he immediately became nervous, not expecting to have to go to Cheezer's this early in the week. He decided it was best not to have Mordecai worrying about him, though, so he decided not to vocalize his feelings about it.

* * *

After the movie was over (which everyone enjoyed, by the way), they all once again piled into the carts and made their way over to Cheezer's. As for Rigby, he managed to forget about his nervousness about going there while watching the movie, but once they were back outside, he began silently panicking. He was aware that he really didn't have to worry about telling Mordecai his feelings until Friday, but it didn't exactly make him feel any better.

So, Rigby ended up spending most of the time they were at Cheezer's completely silent, only occasionally speaking when asked a question. This ended up catching Mordecai's attention, who decided to take the raccoon aside to talk to him in private.

"Dude, what's going on? You've been silent since we've got here."

Rigby didn't reply, choosing instead to look at his feet. Mordecai kneeled down and grabbed the raccoon's shoulders, forcing him to look up into Mordecai's eyes.

"Come on, Rigby, talk to me. I've told you before that I'm willing to listen to whatever you're going through, and I can help you get through it. That's why I'm your best friend, dude."

Rigby did reply this time, but Mordecai wasn't able to hear what he said over the crowd.

"What was that, dude? I can't hear what you're saying."

"I can't, okay?"

"What? Why not?" asked Mordecai, surprised to hear this coming from Rigby.

Rigby was on the verge of tears at this point, but he held them back as best as he could before replying.

"I'm not ready to talk to you about it yet."

"Well, when are you going to be ready?"

"The date on Friday. I promise you that I will be ready to tell you everything then." said Rigby.

Mordecai gave him a confused look as Rigby decided that he needed to get some fresh air and left the restaurant. As the blue jay returned to his seat, a bunch of the other guys were curious as to what was going on between them.

"I don't know. I don't know what's up with him right now."

Truthfully, though, he had his suspicions, but he decided it was probably best to keep it between him and Rigby.

* * *

Once everyone returned to the park from their night out, they all immediately went their separate ways, even Rigby, who went right upstairs to his and Mordecai's room once they entered the house. As much as Mordecai wanted to join him, being worried about what the little raccoon's going through at the moment, he figured that Rigby could use his space for a little while to calm down after the outburst at the restaurant, so he spent a while playing video games by himself to pass the time.

However, he was still unable to concentrate on what he was doing, so his skills suffered as a result, leading to many early deaths in some of the games he was playing.

Disgusted, he threw down the controller and shut the system off, turning the television on. TV helped him get his mind off of Rigby's predicament for a little while, but then the thoughts began drifting in once again, so Mordecai decided it was time to head for bed, so he shut the TV off and walked upstairs towards his room.

After getting ready, Mordecai climbed into bed and gave Rigby one more look, noticing that the raccoon was fast asleep and on the trampoline this time. Mordecai then finally went to sleep, even though he was still really worried about Rigby's well-being.

* * *

**And that's the end of the chapter! I really don't have much else to say, except sorry for it being a little shorter than usual. I'm a little under the weather at the moment, and I kind of wanted to get this done so I can get to bed. Don't worry about me, though. I should be alright soon. So I'm just going to tell you guys that I hope to see you all next time on the next chapter of This Empty Feeling. Bye!**

**RK**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wednesday (2 days left until the big date)**

Rigby woke up the next day feeling down, as he believed that he might have ended up hurting his chances with Mordecai due to his episode last night. He decided it was probably best to apologize to the blue jay for his actions, so he turned around, only to find Mordecai already awake as well, sitting on his bed.

He appeared to be lost in thought, as he was staring into space with a wide-eyed look on his face.

"Mordecai?"

No answer.

"Hey, Mordecai!"

Mordecai still didn't reply, so Rigby got off of his trampoline and climbed up on to Mordecai's bed. He snapped his fingers in front of Mordecai's face and whistled, which thankfully did the trick, snapping him out of his trance.

"Wha-Oh, hey dude. Didn't realize you were up."

"You okay there, Mordecai? You kind of zoned out on me for a second." said Rigby.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking."

"Yeah, I kind of got that. You didn't reply to me when I called your name."

"I just wasn't paying attention, I guess. No worries, though. I'm alright." said Mordecai.

Rigby didn't completely believe what Mordecai was saying, but he decided to move on and leave that for another time.

"Hey listen, I just wanted to apologize for how I was acting last night."

"It's cool, dude. You don't need to apologize to me."

Rigby was admittedly a little unprepared for how easily Mordecai forgave him, but he took it as a good sign and mentally sighed in relief.

"I'm heading downstairs to get some breakfast before work. You coming?"

"I'll be down in a few minutes."

Mordecai then returned to staring into space, as Rigby began heading downstairs, but not before giving Mordecai a look as he left the room.

* * *

Nothing really interesting was going on during the guys' work shift, so they decided to use their break time to go visit the coffee shop.

Both Margaret and Eileen were there to greet them as they arrived. Eileen in particular was looking and acting like her normal self, so Rigby was relieved to see that she hasn't went off the rails after the "break-up". Still, he decided that he probably should take the opportunity to apologize to Eileen just in case.

"Hey, guys!" said Margaret with a friendly wave.

"Hey, Margaret!" said Mordecai and Rigby, the latter's greeting less enthusiastic as he had his eyes on Eileen.

Rigby began walking over towards Eileen, earning a slightly confused look from Mordecai.

"Hey dude, where are you going?"

Rigby looked back at Mordecai and responded by tilting his head at Eileen.

"Oh, right." said Mordecai, remembering what Rigby said yesterday.

As Rigby walked off to where Eileen was, Mordecai sat down at his and Rigby's usual table. Once Margaret walked over to join him, Mordecai decided to ask her about Eileen.

"Hey Margaret, did you notice anything strange going on with Eileen recently? Ever since Rigby friend-zoned her, she's been acting kind of weird."

Margaret was curious after hearing what he said.

"Really? How so?"

"Well, according to Rigby, she showed up at the park the other day wearing a dress for some reason."

Margaret was made aware of the fact that Eileen had purchased a dress, but she didn't think she would end up going that far.

"Eileen's been kind of having trouble finding someone to date after Rigby broke up with her, so I think she's convinced herself that she'll be able to get Rigby to like her again. At least that's what she's told me. I suppose that could be part of the reason she's been acting like that."

"Why didn't you tell her it wasn't going to work? I doubt Rigby will just stop being how he is." said Mordecai.

"Sorry, I couldn't really bring myself to bring her back down after she got her hopes up."

Mordecai sighed before replying.

"No, it's okay, Margaret. We're just going to have to tell her the truth."

Mordecai didn't really get the chance to think about it, though, as Eileen came speeding out of the back room, heading right for the door.

"Hey Eileen! Where are you going?" asked Margaret.

"Um…I'm going on my break. I'll be back in a little bit." said Eileen, thinking up a quick excuse.

Eileen then practically flew out of the front door as Margaret gave her a weird look.

Rigby came out of the back room a few seconds later, before sitting down at the table next to Mordecai.

"What the heck happened back there? Eileen just left like she was in a hurry." asked Mordecai.

"I dunno. She seemed like she was alright when I told her that I was sorry for the way that I put her down the other day. Then again, she did look a little unfocused for some reason."

"Well, Margaret told me that Eileen's convinced that she can get you to like her again. That's most likely why she wasn't paying much attention."

Rigby was surprised to hear this out of Mordecai.

"Really? That's why she was acting so strange?"

"Yeah. Mordecai and I were talking about it while you were back there." said Margaret.

"Whoa. I didn't think that would happen. I guess I should tell her the truth once she gets back."

Mordecai looked over at the clock on the wall.

"Shoot, there's no time. Our break's almost over."

"Really? Wow, time went by fast." said Rigby.

Mordecai and Rigby both got out of their seats and said their goodbyes to Margaret before heading back to the park.

* * *

Once the two of them returned to work, they spent some time trying to brainstorm ideas on how to tell Eileen of the futility of trying to get back with Rigby without hurting her feelings, but nothing seemed to work out.

Eventually, they just decided to wing it and hope for the best. So, once their shift finished, they prepared to head off and find Eileen, when they were once again stopped in their tracks by Benson.

"We're going out to the bar tonight, so don't go anywhere."

"But I'm banned!" said Mordecai.

"I paid off your tab for you. But don't think that I'm going to bail you out next time you run up a tab that large, because it's coming out of your paycheck!" said Benson before leaving the room.

The two of them were silent for a moment after Benson left.

"I guess there's always tomorrow." said Mordecai, shrugging.

Rigby nodded, before the two of them flopped down on the couch while they waited for everyone else to get ready.

* * *

The group (minus Thomas, who was underage) went to the bar and had a good time, except for Mordecai, who reasonably felt a little awkward being there after his episode that day last week. Neither he nor Rigby drank anything alcoholic, as they both remembered what happened. They did end up enduring a bit of teasing from the other guys for it, but neither of them really cared.

Other than that, the time that the group spent at the bar was pretty uneventful. So, they all returned home to the park to find Eileen once again sitting on the steps in front of the house. She wasn't wearing the green dress this time, but it was still a little strange to see her here.

"Eileen? What are you doing here?" asked Rigby as the rest of the group minus Mordecai went inside the house.

"I just came here to see if you wanted to spend some time together before Friday." said Eileen.

Rigby could clearly see that Eileen was hiding something, considering the smile she had on her face looked fake, but he decided to take her up on her offer.

"Um…okay, Eileen. How about we go find a bench somewhere and we can talk?"

"Sure thing."

She began heading towards a bench that was a couple of feet away from where they were standing. Rigby made to follow her when Mordecai grabbed his arm to stop him for a moment.

"You need any help?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks, though." said Rigby.

Mordecai released Rigby's arm before heading inside to join the rest of the group.

Rigby then walked over to the bench and sat down next to Eileen and began speaking.

"Listen Eileen, I have something I need to tell you. Margaret told me that you seem to think that you can get me to like girls again somehow. Is that true?"

"Wait, you didn't know that? I thought I was being pretty open the other day." asked Eileen, confused.

"Well, I thought you just wanted to show off what you bought to me. Sorry about that. I didn't really read between the lines there."

Eileen fell silent; slightly hurt that Rigby didn't get her intentions.

"I just wanted to clear things up with you while you're here. I'm not bisexual, I'm gay. So unfortunately I don't really have any interest in other women. I'm sorry to break it to you, Eileen, but it's not going to work out between us."

"Are you sure that you want to go this way?" asked Eileen, tearing up as the reality hit her.

"Yes, Eileen. I'm really sorry, but that's just the way things end up sometimes."

Eileen paused as she took in what Rigby said. She then hopped off of the bench and turned back towards Rigby.

"Margaret told me the same thing before I came here, and I didn't want to believe it at first. But now I know better. You should have told me about this before, though."

"Can you forgive me for leading you on like this?" asked Rigby.

"I'll forgive you, Rigby, but I'm going to need some time alone to think, so don't be worried if I disappear for a little bit."

Rigby then jumped off of the bench himself and wrapped his arms around Eileen, giving her a hug.

"Thanks for understanding, Eileen."

Rigby then broke the hug, and Eileen left after wiping a tear away.

* * *

Rigby then returned to the house to find Mordecai alone in the living room, playing some video games. The blue jay paused the game after noticing Rigby come inside.

"So, how'd it go?"

"Pretty good, actually. She forgave me, but she wanted some time to herself before the date on Friday."

"Didn't expect you to be so good with words, dude." said Mordecai teasingly.

"Shut up!" said Rigby, flushing angrily.

"I'm just kidding. Man, you need to lighten up a bit. Anyway, you want to play some games?"

"Yeah, sure."

Rigby sat down and grabbed the other controller as Mordecai reset the game to accept the second player. And so they spent the rest of the night enjoying themselves, thinking for once they were glad that something went right for a change.

* * *

**And that's the end of this chapter! So, what was Mordecai thinking about during the morning? Well, that won't be revealed until the date. But as for now, there's only one more day to go. How will Rigby deal with the mounting pressure as the big day approaches? How will Eileen take knowing that she has no chance with Rigby? We'll see.**

**So, before I go, I'd like to throw in a bit of an advertisement for another story I'm writing. I'm not really going to go into any details, considering you can find out what it's about on my profile, but it's called You Will Remember Me, and it's actually a story for the Sly Cooper archive. So please, I'd really like it if you could check it out and leave a review, as I really put a lot of time into what I have written so far.**

**Anyway, I'll be seeing you guys next time. Bye!**

**RK**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thursday (1 day left until big date)**

It was another normal day at the park, with everyone waking up to start another day of work. That is, everyone except Rigby, who was a complete bundle of nerves.

As soon as he woke up, he suddenly remembered about the fact that there was only one more day left until the big date, and he hasn't given any thought as to how he was going to tell Mordecai about his feelings for him. It was understandable, though, considering all of the stressful stuff he's been through in the past few days.

"Morning, dude!"

Rigby yelped, not realizing that Mordecai was up as well.

"Oh hey, Mordecai. You kind of scared me a bit there."

Mordecai stared at him questioningly for a bit as Rigby gave him a nervous grin.

"Okay…so, are you ready for the big date tomorrow?"

Rigby paused for a second as he considered what to say.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Not gonna lie, though, I am pretty excited."

"Sounds good, dude. I can't wait either." said Mordecai.

As Mordecai left the room to get breakfast, Rigby followed a few feet behind, while one thought crossed through his mind.

"I have to talk to Margaret."

* * *

The work day was pretty much normal as always, except for the fact that Rigby spent some of it lost in thought as he tried to come up with ideas for the reveal tomorrow. Unfortunately for the raccoon, he wasn't very good at hiding the fact, considering he had a glazed-over look on his face, which obviously caught Mordecai's attention.

"Dude, you're spacing out on me here. What's wrong?" said Mordecai as he waved a hand in front of Rigby's face.

"Oh, sorry Mordecai. My mind's just been elsewhere today."

"Well, just bring it back here for now. I need you to help me trim these bushes."

Rigby was admittedly a little surprised that Mordecai believed his vague answer, especially with how suspicious he's been getting this week. But still, he decided not to dwell on that fact and he began helping out Mordecai.

* * *

Benson was having one of his bad days, and he ended up taking it out on Mordecai and Rigby, adding more jobs on them as they completed the last ones, so by the end of the day, they were both exhausted.

They both flopped down on the couch and spent the next while watching TV as they relaxed after the long day.

It was during a commercial when Rigby decided to check the clock, and he suddenly realized what time it was. The coffee shop closed in an hour, so he knew he had to go if he wanted to get a chance to talk to Margaret.

"Hey, Mordecai, how would you feel about heading over to the coffee shop for some dinner?"

Mordecai thought for a second as he considered his options.

"You know, that actually doesn't sound too bad. And there's no Benson around to prevent us from leaving, so why not?"

Mordecai and Rigby were about to head out the door, when Rigby stopped in his tracks.

"I just remembered, I need to make a quick phone call before we go."

"Alright, I'll wait here."

Mordecai was about to head back towards the couch, when Rigby stopped him.

"Actually, how about you go grab the cart and I'll meet you outside?"

"Um…okay, I guess."

Mordecai stared at Rigby for a few moments, wondering what was going on with him, before writing if off for the moment and heading out the door to get the cart.

As soon as the door shut, Rigby quickly rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a chair, pulling it over to the phone on the wall. He dialed Margaret's number (which he found out from Mordecai's cell phone) and waited a few seconds as it rang, before Margaret picked up on the other end.

"Hello? This is Margaret."

"Margaret? It's Rigby. We're on our way to the coffee shop right now, and I really need to talk to you. Can you figure out something to send Mordecai away for a bit?"

"Uh, sure. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks a bunch, Margaret." said Rigby before hanging up.

* * *

Mordecai and Rigby pulled up to the coffee shop and little while later, but it wasn't soon enough for Rigby, as he had to spend some of the trip dodging questions from Mordecai as to who he needed to talk to so urgently.

So, the two guys walked into the shop and were greeted as normal by Margaret, and surprisingly Eileen as well, who greeted the two of them like she used to before the whole mess started.

"That was a pretty quick turnaround there, Eileen." commented Rigby as they sat down at their usual table.

"Well, after giving the whole matter some thought, I've decided to try out online dating. I've met this really sweet guy who's actually from the next town over, and we were planning to meet up sometime next week."

"Really? That's great news, Eileen!" said Mordecai.

Eileen then walked off to take care of something else, leaving Margaret to take their orders. After the boys said what they wanted to get, Margaret was about to walk off to fill their orders when she suddenly stopped and turned back around.

"Hey Mordecai, could you do me a favor while I get your food ready?"

"Okay, sure. What do you need?"

"I was checking out the weather a little while ago, and I saw that it was supposed to be pretty cool tonight. Eileen brought her jacket, but I didn't realize I was going to need one. Would you mind running over to my apartment and grabbing it?"

"Alright, I'll go grab it."

Mordecai stood up and made for the door, when he suddenly remembered what happened the last time this kind of thing happened. The note showed up clear as day in his memory. Thankfully, he didn't break stride, so he was able to hide that fact from the others.

Quickly, he decided to do a little spy work to see what was going on between Margaret and Rigby, so after he opened the door and began heading in the direction of the cart, he quickly darted over to the brick wall near the entrance and planted himself against it. He froze in place for a few seconds, making sure that no one was looking, before he craned his neck over to peer into the window.

What he saw inside didn't really seem so bad. Margaret was sitting where Mordecai was a few minutes earlier, talking to Rigby in a way that seemed like she was giving advice to the raccoon. Said raccoon, meanwhile, had a panicked look on his face whenever his head wasn't in his hands. He unfortunately couldn't hear a word of what they were saying thanks to all of the noise going on outside.

"I wonder what they're talking about." mumbled Mordecai to himself.

He knew that if he walked back in to the coffee shop, he would pretty much be giving away the fact that he was watching them, so he decided he'd better do what Margaret asked and grab her coat.

* * *

Mordecai returned a little while later with the coat, and he went up to the front door to find that Margaret and Rigby were still talking. Intrigued, he decided to try and sneak in so he can listen in to what they're saying.

He peered in to the front door and looked upwards, finding the bell that lets Margaret and Eileen know a customer is there. He looked at how far out the bell was from the door, and he figured that it could be possible for him to squeeze in through the door without hitting the bell.

After taking a few breaths to calm his nerves, he slowly began pushing the door open while also keeping a close eye on the bell. Once he pushed it far enough to where he was comfortable with the fact that it wouldn't hit the bell, he sucked in his stomach and squeezed his way through the opening he created.

Somehow, he managed to avoid hitting the bell, so he quietly closed the door and snuck over to the nearest table, hiding behind the stools. Mordecai quickly strained his ears to listen in to the conversation.

"I don't think there's really any other way to put it then to just say that you like him. I've told you this before, you don't really have any control as to whether he'll return your feelings or not. It's up to him." said Margaret.

Rigby sighed heavily.

"I guess you're right. Whenever the time comes, I'm going to just come out and say it."

Mordecai ended up bumping into one of the stools in his surprise at hearing that Rigby has a crush. The stool began rocking back and forth as it was about ready to fall, but Mordecai managed to catch it in time and place it back on the ground.

Rigby looked behind him, having heard the sound coming from the stool, but Mordecai was thankfully out of sight, so he shrugged and returned to focusing on Margaret.

"Anyway, thanks for the advice, Margaret."

"No problem, Rigby."

Mordecai sighed, disappointed that he only managed to catch the end of the conversation. He got up from his sitting position and crouch walked back over to the door, before opening the door and sounding the bell. He quickly stood up as Margaret and Rigby looked back at him.

"Oh Mordecai, you're back! Did you get my jacket?" asked Margaret.

Mordecai held up Margaret's jacket in response.

"Oh, thank you, Mordecai. I really appreciate the help."

Margaret walked over and hugged Mordecai before grabbing the jacket and running back to the back room. A few seconds later, she returned carrying the boys' orders.

"Here you go. Enjoy!"

As Margaret walked off and the guys began eating, Mordecai decided to get a conversation going.

"So Rigby, I've heard you've got yourself a little crush. Isn't that right?"

Rigby spluttered for a bit, almost choking on his food. Mordecai started pounding him on the back as Rigby was coughing.

"Where did you find that out?" asked Rigby, shocked.

"A little bird told me."

"Very funny. But yeah, I do have a crush."

"Mind sharing his name with the class?" asked Mordecai.

"No offense, but I'd rather not have to endure teasing for who this person is, so no."

"Fair enough. But I want to meet this guy, see what he's like."

"Don't worry, dude. I think you'll be surprised once you find out who this guy is." said Rigby.

Mordecai stared at him for a few moments, but he decided not to question him and simply returned to his food.

The guys soon finished their food and paid their bills, but before they could leave, Margaret walked up.

"Hey, what do you guys want to do about getting to Cheezer's tomorrow?"

Mordecai paused for a moment, thinking of what they should do, but before he could answer, Rigby piped up.

"We could just meet there. I mean, it's not really a legit date, so we don't really need to follow the 'one date picks up another' thing."

"That's actually not too bad of an idea. Let's meet up at Cheezer's at around seven tomorrow night. How does that sound?" asked Mordecai.

"Sounds good. I'll go tell Eileen."

"Alright, we'll see you guys tomorrow." said Mordecai.

"See ya!" said Margaret.

As Mordecai and Rigby headed back to the cart, Rigby was busy trying to calm himself down and mentally prepare himself for the big date tomorrow. He knew full well that the outcome would be out of his control, but he hoped that Mordecai would be able to understand the feelings that he had for him.

* * *

**And that's the end of the chapter! The preparations are now over. Will Rigby finally confess his feelings for Mordecai? And how will Mordecai take knowing the truth? You'll find out when the big date finally arrives.**

**Oh, and just to let you guys know, the date chapter will not be the last chapter. There will be at least a few more after that, so for those of you who really like this story, you can rejoice, because it's not over yet. Not by a longshot.**

**Anyway, I'll be seeing you guys next time. Bye!**

**RK**


	10. Chapter 10

**Friday (Day of Big Date)**

It was another beautiful day at the park, and Mordecai woke up to find himself alone in his and Rigby's room.

"Huh, guess Rigby must've gone down to breakfast early." Mordecai said to himself.

He stretched out his body for a second and cracked his back before getting out of bed, quickly washing up in the bathroom and heading downstairs for breakfast.

When Mordecai walked into the kitchen, he found Rigby shoveling down spoonfulls of sugary cereal like he always does. Mordecai sat down at the table across from Rigby and poured himself a bowl.

"Morning."

"Morning, Mordecai."

Mordecai looked up at Rigby and saw that the raccoon had a grin on his face as he was humming some sort of song that Mordecai couldn't hear clear enough to decipher.

"You look pretty chipper today, dude."

"What? Oh…yeah, I guess I am." said Rigby.

"Any reason why that would be? You're usually dead on your feet this early in the morning, especially without your coffee."

"Well, I am looking forward to the big date tonight, I suppose."

Mordecai's sleep-addled brain took a few seconds to process that last statement from Rigby, before it finally hit him and he realized he forgot about it completely.

"Oh yeah, that's right. It is tonight. I guess it slipped my mind."

The room fell silent for the next few minutes as Mordecai and Rigby ate their cereal, until Mordecai decided to take a chance on getting Rigby to spill one of his secrets he was holding until the date.

"So, any chance of telling me who your secret crush is?"

Rigby was about to reply with the answer, when he caught himself.

"Nice try, dude. I've told you before; I'm not going to tell you until tonight."

Even though Mordecai had no intention of giving up his hunt for the answer, he let Rigby have this victory, and returned to eating his cereal.

* * *

Nothing important really happened during the work shift outside of Mordecai repeatedly attempting to weasel an answer out of Rigby during times when he thought the raccoon would be caught off guard. Unfortunately for him, Rigby was smarter than that, as he effortlessly dodged his questions and kept his mouth shut.

After the shift ended, the two of them had some free time before they needed to get ready, so they spent their time playing video games as usual. Mordecai was kicking Rigby's butt as usual, when Rigby decided to strike up a conversation.

"Say, Mordecai, why is it that you're so interested in finding out who I have a crush on?"

"Well…um…can't a guy be curious as to what his friend is up to?"

Rigby paused for a second, playing the game as he thought about what Mordecai said.

"I guess so, but that doesn't mean that the friend has to tell the other guy when he asks. I mean, everyone has to have their own secrets."

It hit Mordecai then that he was being a bit of a pushy jerk, so he paused the game and sighed before turning towards Rigby.

"Listen dude, I'm sorry about what I put you through today. I shouldn't be asking you about sensitive things when you don't want to talk about them."

"No, it's okay, Mordecai. I understand. Besides, the date's only a half an hour away, so you'll find out pretty soon."

That last sentence suddenly registered in Rigby's mind a few seconds after he said it, and he looked at the clock which let them know that there was only thirty minutes left until they were supposed to meet Margaret and Eileen.

"Oh crap, we have to get ready!" said Rigby.

"Come on, let's get upstairs." said Mordecai as he rushed upstairs himself, Rigby following close behind.

* * *

It was packed at Cheezer's that night, perfect for what Margaret and Rigby were working towards. Speaking of Margaret, she and Eileen were already there, waiting for the guys to arrive. Both of them were wearing regular clothes, considering they didn't really need to worry about dressing up with the place that they were going to.

"I wonder what's taking them so long." said Eileen as she checked her watch.

"I dunno. They're usually pretty good at being on time."

The two of them didn't need to wait any longer, as Mordecai and Rigby pulled up a few seconds later in the cart, looking slightly disheveled.

"Hey guys!" said Margaret.

"Sorry we're late, Margaret. We kind of lost track of time." said Mordecai.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you guys have made it. Anyway, how about we go inside and grab a table?"

"Really? It seems kind of crowded in there. Besides, I see a few open tables out here." said Mordecai, confused.

"Don't you want to get out of the heat, though?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Let's go see if we can squeeze into a booth somewhere inside."

The four of them went inside and eventually found an empty booth inside the dining area off to the side of the main restaurant.

After they all sat down, with Mordecai and Margaret on one side and Rigby and Eileen on the other, Eileen decided to speak up.

"Man, it's pretty busy in here tonight."

"Well, it is Friday. People usually like to go out to eat on Friday's." said Rigby.

"That's certainly true." said Margaret.

So, the group spent the next few minutes chatting about random things until Margaret turned towards Rigby.

"So Rigby, any guys that you're interested in yet?"

Rigby sputtered, not quite ready yet to spill, so he quickly changed the subject while at the same time subtly signaling to Margaret that it wasn't the right time.

"So, uh…are you guys ready to order? I can go take care of getting the food."

Margaret got the message and dropped the subject, but the question caught Mordecai's attention. He was admittedly curious as to what was going on, but he remembered what happened during the afternoon, so he put the thought in the back of his mind for the moment.

After the other three gave their orders to Rigby, the raccoon hopped down from his seat and walked off towards the counter. While he was gone, Mordecai took the opportunity to question Margaret.

"Hey Margaret, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Mordecai, what is it?"

"Is there something going on between you and Rigby?"

Margaret's eyes widened, causing Mordecai to immediately push his hands forward, signaling for Margaret to wait before responding.

"I don't mean anything romantic, Margaret. I know that Rigby's not into women. What I mean is that you've sent me away from the coffee shop twice over the past week to pick up something from your apartment that's pretty far away. So, is there some talking or something going on?"

Margaret sighed in relief after Mordecai clarified what he was saying, before she decided to respond.

"Yeah, I've been talking to Rigby. He didn't know how to tell his crush about his feelings for him, so he decided to go to me for advice. To be honest, I'm not really sure why, as I'm not exactly an authority on picking someone up."

Mordecai smiled, satisfied with Margaret's answer as Rigby returned with the food.

"Hey Mordecai, do you have ten bucks on you? I'm a little short to pay the cashier."

"Ugh, fine."

Mordecai sighed as he pulled a ten out of his wallet and handed it over to Rigby. After a quick thanks from the raccoon, he hurried back over to the cashier and paid the rest of the balance before coming back over and sitting down.

The group began eating their food in silence, outside of one comment from Mordecai and Rigby.

"Man, all this cheese is really starting to taste a little drab." said Rigby.

"I know what you mean, dude. We really should be spreading out our visits a little bit more."

Margaret was curious after hearing the two of them talking to each other.

"What's this about spreading out visits?"

Mordecai looked over at Margaret for a second, too focused in on his conversation with Rigby to realize that Margaret was talking.

"What? Oh…this is actually the third time we've been here in the past week and a half. Benson's not exactly the most innovative guy when restricted to a certain place to take us and the other guys."

"Ouch. I feel your pain. Too much cheese is never a good thing." said Eileen.

* * *

Soon enough, the group finished off their food, and threw away their garbage. Instead of heading outside, they decided to hang out and talk a little more, so that was what they did for the next few minutes.

It was at this point that the restaurant was nearing closing time, and the people were starting to file out, so Rigby needed to act fast if he wanted to get the right conditions together.

"So, are you guys ready to go?" asked Mordecai as he began to exit the booth.

"Mordecai, wait!" said Rigby.

Mordecai looked back at Rigby, half out of his seat with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, dude? What is it?"

"Can you sit down for a minute? I have something really important to tell you."

Mordecai sat back down in his seat, looking at Rigby with a genuinely curious look on his face.

Rigby sighed, taking a quick glance at Margaret, who gave him a slight nod so as to avoid catching Mordecai's attention.

"Mordecai, I have a confession to make. I…really like you."

"I like you too, dude. Why wouldn't I? We've been friends forever."

Rigby grunted.

"Listen dude, you're not really understanding me. What I mean is that I'm past that point where I like you as a friend. I like you as more than that, if you catch my drift."

Mordecai took a few seconds for it to register. When he did, his eyes widened immensely, finally understanding what Rigby was talking about, before his expression suddenly shifted to sheer surprise.

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're saying that the big crush that you were telling me you had…was on me?"

Rigby blushed immensely.

"Yeah." he said meekly.

Mordecai had trouble wrapping his head around this revelation. Rigby…liked him? As more than just a friend?

"I…I need to go."

Mordecai got out of his seat and immediately rushed out the door and into the cart, pulling away.

Rigby looked to be almost on the verge of tears, thinking that he must have said something wrong and blew it, but Margaret immediately took action and grabbed Rigby's hands.

"Listen to me, Rigby. Just because Mordecai left you here doesn't mean he's rejecting you. I imagine he just needs some time to think."

Rigby smiled, sniffing as he looked at Margaret.

"Thanks Margaret. I appreciate the words of confidence."

"No problem, Rigby. I don't want to see you being miserable all the time."

Eileen suddenly popped in a few seconds later to interrupt.

"Uh guys? I don't want to ruin this whole moment here, but we should get out of here. People are starting to stare."

People were in fact starting to stare, especially with the episode that Rigby has been having, so the three remaining people in the group headed outside.

"So, uh…would you girls mind driving me back to the park? Mordecai kind of took my transportation here."

"Sure thing, Rigby. Hop in." said Margaret.

Rigby did as was asked and hopped into the backseat of Margaret's car and she drove Rigby back to the park.

After pulling up in front of the house, Rigby said thanks to the both of them and waved goodbye before heading back inside the house and up to his room to find Mordecai already in bed facing the wall.

He was already asleep at this point, so Rigby felt that he shouldn't bother Mordecai until the morning, so as he slipped under the laundry and fell asleep, he hoped that Mordecai would be willing to reciprocate his feelings now that he knows the truth.

* * *

**And that's the end of the chapter! So Mordecai finally knows the truth. How will it affect his and Rigby's relationship? You'll find out next chapter.**

**Anyway, even though I already mentioned it before, I kind of feel the need to remind you guys that the next chapter will not be the last one. There will be at least a few more, but you're going to have to wait to find out what they will be about.**

**So, that's pretty much all I have to say, so I'll see you next time. Bye!**

**RK**


End file.
